School Is Starting - Are Your Kids Ready To Learn?

August 27, 2019

It’s wistful to admit, but summer is almost over. Days are shorter, evenings are breezier, and, wherever you live, kids are already back to school or are headed there shortly. There’s an excitement to this change of seasons, but there’s an element of stress – for kids, as they return to school both mentally and physically, and for parents and teachers, as they reset routines and prepare for the school-year ahead. Even if your kids are already toting backpacks and doing homework, it’s not too late to give your kids a leg up for the new school year.

Summer-learning loss is well documented. Though there’s some debate as to how much and to whom it happens, there are a few things we know about the “summer slide.” Early research showed that students can lose up to 30 percent of their year’s learning over the summer, and this gap can worsen for students in different socio-economic groups who might not have access to the environments needed to maintain learning over the summer. In some studies, slowdown of math skills was more severe than of English.

To combat the slide, don’t just polish the apple, pack up the trapper keepers and assume your kids are all set. It’s all about inspiring students by sparking interest (and joy) in the discovery of learning.